TKEMATODA 



39 



only associated with, but actually gave rise to a formidable and 

 very common disease in Egypt. 



In 1864 Dr John Harley made the interesting announcement 

 that he had discovered specimens of this singular genus in a 

 patient from the Cape of Good Hope. He also showed that 

 the entozoon was the cause of the hcematuria known to be 

 endemic at the Cape. Harley believed his parasites to represent 

 a new species (Diatom a capense), but in this view I showed that 

 he was mistaken. His admirable contribution, nevertheless, 

 served not only to establish the wide range of this parasite on 

 the African continent, but also to throw much light upon the 

 subject of endemic helminthiasis. As this worm forms an 

 almost altogether exceptional type of fluke- structure, it became 

 necessary to supersede the original no- 

 menclature proposed by Bilharz and 

 Yon Siebpld (Distoma haematoMum) . 

 Accordingly I proposed the term Bil- 

 harzia, whilst other helminthologists 

 subsequently proposed various titles 

 (Gyntecophorus, Diesing ; . Schistosoma, 

 Weinland; Thecosoma, Moquin-Tandon) . 

 On various grounds, and chiefly on 

 account of priority, most writers have 

 at length definitely accepted the nomen- 

 clature which employed the disco verer's 

 name for generic recognition. 



The Bilharzia htematobia may be 

 described as a trematode helminth Fl< 7 ._T h eo7 fluke 

 in which the male and female repro- 

 ductive organs occur in separate indi- 

 viduals; the male being a cylindrical 



vermiform worm, measuring only half an inch or rather more 

 in length, whilst the female is filiform, longer, and much 

 narrower than the male, being about four fifths of an inch from 

 head to tail ; in both, the oral and ventral suckers are placed 

 near each other at the front of the body; in the male the 

 suckers measuring Ti ~", in the female ~ f in diameter ; in either, 

 the reproductive orifice occurs immediately below the ventral 

 acetabulum. The comparatively short, thick, and flattened 

 body of the male is tuberculated and furnished with a gynceco~ 

 phoric canal, extending from a point a little below the ventral 

 sucker to the extremity of the tail ; this slit-like cavity being 



heematobia). The lower end of the 

 female is withdrawn from the | 

 cophoric canal of the male. 

 Kiichenmeister. 



